Need advice - Yet another noob questions. Kind of.

[Supergirl]

Hi,

i need some help

I mostly print motorcycle graphics, racing and track day number plates, to be precise. I print those on avery MPI1005 with DOL1360.
Motorcycles are very curvey and need the material that conforms best. I've been printing third year now.

i have also wrapped a few motorcycles (sportbikes) and i don't think I'd ever do it again

One of my customers wants his van wrapped. We've always wanted to get into wrapping more than motorcycles, and my local supplier said, after he saw the bikes we've wrapped "if you can wrap this, you can wrap anything"

i signed us up for the mutoh/avery workshop this year in June (it was sold out the prior years before i got to it) but my customer needs his van wrapped sooner.


From what i see, questions about square footage and pricing are not gladly answered here, so let me ask you a more basic question.


this might sound really stupid, but i wouldn't be asking if i knew the answer.

he wants the basic color to be silver, but have other graphics on it (biiiiiig checkered flag and the company logos)

• Should i buy a silver wrapping vinyl and print on it (is that even doable) then laminate over it? is that going to be too thick?
• Or wrap in silver, then print and cut those graphics (checkered flag would be a nightmare, i would have to transfer tape that) since i cannot print silver.
• or do i print on clear and put over the silver?

This is going on a chevy van with no windows.

So, now about tiling.
Do i print panels that are split horizontally or vertically? if vertically, i assume i would make the slices by doors etc. how much "overprint" i.e. after i tile it (manually??) how much extra should i print so there are no gaps?


and finally a non related but a very basic question.

sometimes when i get a sponsor logo from a customer for the race bike and that logo has spot colors, the colors print differently.
so, green prints dark orange and whitish prints pink? i have not figured out why my printer would do that, so i'd appreciate some input. (i know you're probably hitting your forhead now LOL)

I print on mutoh 1324, design in Illustrator and use mutoh/flexi photo print to rip. I laminate everything i print.



Thank you for any input!


Tea

 

[Supergirl]

Anybody a hint of advice?

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Sounds like "your customer" is going to the wrong place for their specialized custom van wrap.
I usually don't advocate practicing on customers vehicles.

 

[Supergirl]

He's a friend of mine, Mr. know it all, and knows i haven't wrapped a van yet.


I asked for help. that's what forums are usually for. People helping others. I have helped others here. Nothing wrong with asking for help.
Not all of us were born with wrapping skills.

Looks like you've got nothing better to do than bash. go wrap something.

 

[reQ]

In your case, it looks like yes, you have to wrap it in opaque color first, then install additional decals on top. For seams, whatever works best for you, just remember;

- If you do vertical seams, you have to install from back to front, to make sure wind will not catch your seams.
- If you do horizontal, bottom part goes on first, op one 2nd, so rain and other crap will not build op on your seam.

 

[Supergirl]

In your case, it looks like yes, you have to wrap it in opaque color first, then install additional decals on top. For seams, whatever works best for you, just remember;

- If you do vertical seams, you have to install from back to front, to make sure wind will not catch your seams.
- If you do horizontal, bottom part goes on first, op one 2nd, so rain and other crap will not build op on your seam.

Thank you very much!!

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

He's a friend of mine, Mr. know it all, and knows i haven't wrapped a van yet.


I asked for help. that's what forums are usually for. People helping others. I have helped others here. Nothing wrong with asking for help.
Not all of us were born with wrapping skills.

Looks like you've got nothing better to do than bash. go wrap something.

Both details you left out of your post! He's your friend & knows you haven't wrapped a van yet.
That info would have solicited quite a different response had you mentioned it do ya think? You only said they were a customer.


I understand all the question you had and it's good to ask them. There is a LOT to learn about wrapping and nobody is born with that knowledge. It's learned over a long period of time.
My problem is not that you have questions. It's that you are going to actually charge somebody to wrap their van when you don't even have the basics yet.
If you had said, i'm going to wrap my friend's van and they know I've not done it before...Totally different.

Hence my "Advice" NOT to practice on customers' vehicles.
This forum is for people helping others...TRUE.
Not people helping others to make the industry look bad by encouraging them to dive right in on customers' vehicles when they aren't ready.

*******Anybody agree or am I really that big of a jerk by discouraging people from "jumping into the wrap biz" by practicing on customers vehicles?

 

[TimToad]

I don't think you were being a jerk at all. I for one am getting a bit bored with some of these noobies coming here with their inane, completely uninformed questions and ZERO humility if they don't get the royal kid glove treatment. Then they flip off the realist who had the nerve to rub their oh so delicate feathers the wrong way.

Seeking help is a component of this site, but the site isn't some frickin' sign and graphics school that will replace real world experience or practice. I also don't think its unreasonable to suggest someone get some basic skills, training and practice in before they add themselves to the crop of industry sector diminishing hacks who always thought it would "cool" to do wraps.

Want to learn how to do wraps? Do us all a favor and at least get minimally competent at it before you decide to splash your name and company all over your local area and start undermining the local pricing structure that took the established companies in town years to develop and stabilize.

To the OP, you've got the equipment, materials and some experience, why has it taken over three years to get around to doing your very first non-motorcycle wrap? Or some practice for that matter?

 

[Supergirl]

Nowhere in my post have i asked how to install the wrap.


btw, Your webpage looks like ****. It's a disgrace to any software engineer, web developer, or web designer. you should have let somebody who knows what they're doing do the job. the professional. it just makes everybody in the industry look so bad.
oh wait, you didn't ask for my opinion. never mind. i'll give it to you anyway.



I had asked about possibilities of printing on top of silver (never had to do it before) and if there is a preferred way to tile.

so, if you've got nothing to contribute, except the bashing, get out of my thread and go wrap a sammich or something.

 

[Supergirl]

To the OP, you've got the equipment, materials and some experience, why has it taken over three years to get around to doing your very first non-motorcycle wrap? Or some practice for that matter?

To answer your well meant question:

EXACTLY that's why. To get some practice before i just "jump in" and offer wraps after purchasing equipment.
I am already too busy with what I do, to even offer wraps and yes, i have sent customers to other local companies for full vehicle wraps, because i don't have the time and experience.
I am interested in doing them, thus the opportunity.

I am a senior software engineer at day. The other 8 hours i dedicate to motorcycle graphics.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Nowhere in my post have i asked how to install the wrap.


btw, Your webpage looks like ****. It's a disgrace to any software engineer, web developer, or web designer. you should have let somebody who knows what they're doing do the job. the professional. it just makes everybody in the industry look so bad.
oh wait, you didn't ask for my opinion. never mind. i'll give it to you anyway.



I had asked about possibilities of printing on top of silver (never had to do it before) and if there is a preferred way to tile.

so, if you've got nothing to contribute, except the bashing, get out of my thread and go wrap a sammich or something.

Logic much? I didn't critique any of your work. I simply suggested not practicing on customer's vehicles...which is what your post apparently gave the impression you would be doing.
It IS asking for opinions when you post in the wrap forum, asking how to set up print files for color variances, lamination, overprinting, printing on clear, how to tile panels, material possibilities, etc. ALL with the impression that you plan on doing this to a "customers" vehicle.

 

[TimToad]

Nowhere in my post have i asked how to install the wrap.


btw, Your webpage looks like ****. It's a disgrace to any software engineer, web developer, or web designer. you should have let somebody who knows what they're doing do the job. the professional. it just makes everybody in the industry look so bad.
oh wait, you didn't ask for my opinion. never mind. i'll give it to you anyway.



I had asked about possibilities of printing on top of silver (never had to do it before) and if there is a preferred way to tile.

so, if you've got nothing to contribute, except the bashing, get out of my thread and go wrap a sammich or something.

Yup, exactly the expected response. If it makes you feel better about your own hackneyed, high school level design skills, I'll bite. You have the best "programmed" amateurish decal website I've ever seen.

There, we can now get back to what we were doing.

 

[player]

Ughhhh.... This always happens.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

To answer your well meant question:

EXACTLY that's why. To get some practice before i just "jump in" and offer wraps after purchasing equipment.
I am already too busy with what I do, to even offer wraps and yes, i have sent customers to other local companies for full vehicle wraps, because i don't have the time and experience.
I am interested in doing them, thus the opportunity.

I am a senior software engineer at day. The other 8 hours i dedicate to motorcycle graphics.

PLEASE please please keep in mind...I am not telling you to ditch wraps. I hope you do keep it up. We need more quality wrap installers in this industry. (Quality)
Just do it responsibly is what I was saying by "dont' practice on customers' vehicles." That's all. It hurts the industry when people do that.
If it's your buddy & he knows what he's getting into & will pay you to do it...more power to you.

 

[Supergirl]

Logic much? I didn't critique any of your work. I simply suggested not practicing on customer's vehicles...which is what your post apparently gave the impression you would be doing.
It IS asking for opinions when you post in the wrap forum, asking how to set up print files for color variances, lamination, overprinting, printing on clear, how to tile panels, material possibilities, etc. ALL with the impression that you plan on doing this to a "customers" vehicle.

^^ That is a reply that does not sound like a jerk.

Like i said, 1. he's a friend and knows it.

Everything i've ever printed was printed on white digital media and laminated. never attempted to print on opaque, thus my question.
Everything i've ever printed to wrap, was small enough that it didn't need to be tiled i.e. motorcycle panels, like you would need for a bigger vehicle.

So, my questions were kind of simple and reQ answered them beautifully.

 

[Supergirl]

PLEASE please please keep in mind...I am not telling you to ditch wraps. I hope you do keep it up. We need more quality wrap installers in this industry. (Quality)
Just do it responsibly is what I was saying by "dont' practice on customers' vehicles." That's all. It hurts the industry when people do that.
If it's your buddy & he knows what he's getting into & will pay you to do it...more power to you.

Yep he knows it. Thank you very much!

 

[reQ]

Yup, exactly the expected response.

Well, if dump bucket of sh!t on someone, are you expecting them to smile?

Yes, 8/10 posts like that are complete trash, when people asking what printer they should buy to print decals and sell on ebay etc. But this person is different, and i did not feel that its another Joe trying to get into business with chinesse cutter lol

 

[Gino]

So, from all angles, we just turn on each other, and let the real hacks see us eating each other up. What Great help this place has become. No learning, no help, just eat each other apart. Let's just let the wannabees take over.

 

[Stormyj]

I absolutely love reading these types of threads. Great bathroom material.

 

[Stormyj]

So, from all angles, we just turn on each other, and let the real hacks see us eating each other up. What Great help this place has become. No learning, no help, just eat each other apart. Let's just let the wannabees take over.

I don't know. Kentucky Wraps was just saying if you don't know what your doing don't do it, and it was actually not that harsh, compared to some responses on this forum. Supergirl got a little mouthy with her response. Clearly he petted her the wrong way. Take advise from those that give it, but don't ***** cause you didn't get the advise you were looking for, or cause you have soft skin.